Oxford candidates love the small town but worry about empty storefronts

OXFORD — Candidates running in the primary for Borough Council seem pleased to be living in a small town.

Still, there are those who would like to get a better handle on real estate taxes and see more stores prosper in the middle of the borough.

Six people are running on the Republican ballot for nominations to run for council’s four seats up for election this year. Incumbent Jamie Cole is the lone Democrat and faces no challenges in that race.

Incumbent President Ron Hershey is hoping to be nominated for his third term.

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“I believe Oxford is going in the right direction. It’s a small town and we’re working with (Oxford Mainstreet Incorporated),” he said. Still, he said he’s hoping for growth in the business district.

Incumbent Council Vice President Sherry Andrews has lived in Oxford all her life. She said she loves the mom-and-pop stores and believes parking is not a problem. She said she would, however, like to fill some of the empty stores on Third Street and have Oxford continue to move forward.

Randy Grace is hoping to get the nomination and eventually a seat on council to get a handle on where the spending is going. “Businesses are still coming and going. I want to know if the money is being spent wisely,” he added.

Grace said if there is more streetscape work to be done, he doesn’t want stores blocked by the construction while it’s going on.

Paul Matthews is a decorated military veteran and father of the late Eli Matthews, in whose honor he dedicates an annual running race. He has stated he wants to control borough spending with an emphasis on tax mitigation as well as create council transparency. He also wants to work on the revitalization of the business district.

Gary Tozzo is a longtime manager in the fresh produce industry and serves on the borough planning commission. Like Matthews, he said he wants to control spending with the goal of tax mitigation and wants council to be more transparent and to revitalize the business district.

Susan Vinciguerra is listed as a member of the Oxford Historical Commission. Attempts to reach her for comment were unsuccessful, and she did not record her views for the League of Women Voters guide.